clarion
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clarion¹
- /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ən/ UK
- /ˈklæɹ.i.ən/ US
- /ˈklɛɹ.i.ən/ US
Rhymes with -æɹiən
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English clarion, clarioun (“trumpet with a narrow tube and a shrill sound, clarion; clarion player”) [and other forms], from Old French claron, clarïon (“clarion”) [and other forms], from Medieval Latin clāriōn, clario, clārōn (“clarion; trumpet”), from Latin clārus (“audible; clear, distinct, loud; (visually) bright, clear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, summon; to cry”).
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun.
noun clarions
- A medieval brass instrument chiefly used as a battle signal; related to the trumpet, it had a narrow, straight pipe and a high-pitched, piercing sound. The clarion’s call to action has been heard.
- The sound of a clarion (sense 1), or any sound resembling the loud, high-pitched note of a clarion. Others [i.e., other birds] on ground / Walk'd firm; the creſted Cock whoſe clarion ſounds / The ſilent hours, and th' other whoſe gay Traine / Adorns him, colour'd with the Florid hue / Of Rainbows and Starrie Eyes.
- An organ stop consisting of pipes with reeds giving a high-pitched note like that of a clarion (sense 1).
- The middle register of the clarinet.
-
A charge thought to represent a type of wind instrument, a keyboard instrument like a spinet, or perhaps a rest used by a knight to support a lance during jousting.
Similar: clarichord, rest, sufflue
adjective
- Of a sound, a voice, a message, etc.: brilliantly clear. her clarion top notes
clarion²
- /ˈklæɹ.ɪ.ən/ UK
- /ˈklæɹ.i.ən/ US
- /ˈklɛɹ.i.ən/ US
Rhymes with -æɹiən
Where it comes from
From Middle English clariounen (“of a horn or trumpet: to blow, sound”), from clarioun (noun) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitives of verbs). Later uses may also be derived directly from the noun.
verb clarions · clarioning · clarioned
- To announce or herald (something) using a clarion (noun sense 1).
- To announce or herald (something) clearly, especially so as to stir or unite people. His deep voice clarioned the words and he paused, hearing them whisper away into their last faint echoes in the organ loft.
- Of a thing: to cause (a place) to echo with a sound like that of a clarion. Sir Knight, thy glory clarioneth the heavens.
- To sound a clarion; also, to make a high-pitched, piercing sound like that of a clarion. [T]hou, young-bodied morn, / In-ushered by the puffed winds clarioning, / No bond can bind.
Clarion³
proper noun
- An unincorporated community in Bureau County, Illinois, United States.
- A city, the county seat of Wright County, Iowa, United States.
- A borough, the county seat of Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States.
- A ghost town in Sanpete County, Utah, United States.
- A river in Pennsylvania, a tributary of the Allegheny River.
Translations
Talk about this word "clarion." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/clarion. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. clarion. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/clarion "clarion." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/clarion.Cite this
@misc{clarion_2026,
title = {clarion},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/clarion},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
